Annunciator system



(No Model.)

E. H. OWEN, O. N. WILLIAMS 8v FSH, DONALDSON.

ANNUNOIATOR SYSTEM.

No. 589,747. Patented Sept. 7,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT seien@ EDVARD Il. OUTRE, CHARLES N. lVILLIAMS, ANDFRED lil. DONALDSON, OF GARVANZA, CALIFORNIA.

ANNUNCIATOR SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,747, datedSeptember 7, 1897.

Application tiled June 18, 1897. Serial No. 641,371.

To a/ZZ wiz/0m t may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD H. OWEN, CHARLES N. WILLIAMS, and FRED' H.DON- ALDsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Garvanza, in thecounty of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Annunciator Systems, of which thefollowingisaspecification.

This invention relates generally to annunciators er signal systems 5 andthe chief object of the present invention is to provide an electricannunciator or signal system whereby a person calling at the entrance orsome other part of a building can by simply operating' a contact deviceor puslrbutton obtain certain information from any one of several moreor less distant places or points.

The invention also has i'or its object to provide novel means whichenables a person at a certain place or point to conveniently andinstantly ascertain if any one of a number of persons occupyingapartments, offices, or rooms at more or less distant places or pointsis present er absent-tl1at is to say, is in or out, dce., as the casemay be-thereby saving to the owners ot buildings elevatorservice andother wear and tear, as well as time and labor to inquiring persons andoceupants.

The apparatus or system comprises electromagnctically-operated signs orvisual signals in a circuit common to and each susceptible of beingoperated by a current through any one of a series of switches at more orless distant points or places. The switches are electrically connectedwith the electromagnets ot' the signs or visual signals and with partsof contact devicesv or push-buttons corresponding in number with thenumber of switches. The contact devices or push-buttons are located injuxtaposition to the electromagnet-ically-eperated signs or visual sig-knals and are in a circuit which includes an electric generator and theelectromagnets in such manner that any one of the switches may beadjusted to operate any one of the signs or visual signals when l theelectric eircuit is completed by operating the contact device orpuslrbutton corresponding to the adj usted switch.

(No model.)

The invention is illustra-ted by the accom panying drawing, in which theiigure is an elevation ot' sufficient of an apparatus orsysteni toenable our invention to be clearly understood.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use ourinvention, we will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawing, whereiny The numeral 1 indicates a board or frame 6o or anyconstruction suitable for the purpose in hand, and which for convenienceof description we will vterm a push-button board. This board is providedwith a plurality of push-buttons 2, 3, 4, and 5, each composed, 6 5 asusual, of normally-separated parts which can be placed in electricalconnection to cornplete the circuit by simply pressing upon or touchingthe exposed heads or outer ends of the push-buttons. The push-buttonboard 7o is arranged in juxtaposition or proper rela tion to anannnnciator signal-box 6, containing, as here shown, two eleetromagnets7 and S, electrically connected byaconduetoiwire l 0 wit-l1 a battery orelectric generator 10, 7 5 which is electrically connected by aconductor-wire 12 with one part of the contact-pieces or push-buttons ofthe board or frame l.

The signs or visual signals 13 and 14 are mounted upon armatures l5 and16, each piv- 8o oted between the poles of one of the electromagnets thesaine, or substantially the same, as described and shown'in PatentNo.59,075, issued to us March i6, 1897, whereby the signs orvisual-signal `devices will be moved S5 or swung into and out of viewwhen the electromagnets are vitalized and devitalized. The push-buttonboard and the annunciator signal-box are arranged in operativeconnection with a plurality of switches l?, 1S, 19, go and 20, locatedat more or less distant points or placesas, for instance, in apartments,ofiices, or rooms of a building. The switches, as here shown, arecomposed of switchboards or supports each provided with twocontactpieces 2l and 22 and a switch arm or level' 23,' having a knob orhandle 2i at one end and mounted on a pivot 25 at the other end, wherebywe provide what may be termed a two-point switch. The contact-pieces 2roo of all the two-point switches are electrically connected by aconductor-wire 2o with one pole of one of the electroinagnets, and thecontact-pieces 22 of all the switches are electrically connected by aconductor-wire 27 with one pole of the other magnet in such manner thatall of the two-point switches are common to and in the same circuit asthe electromagncts, so that it is possible for any one of the switchesto be set to operate any one of the signs or visual signals, as willhereinafter appear. The pivots 25 of the switch arms or levers 23 areelectrically connected, respectively, with the push-buttons 2, 3, 4c,and 5 by conductor-wires 28, 29, 30, and 3l, by which means the electriccircuit can be completed by operating any one of the push-buttons. Thepush-buttons are located in proper relation to diacritical marks which,as here represented, are composed of the names of persons occupying,respectively, the apartments, offices, or rooms in which the two pointswitches are located. These switches may also be designated ordistinguished by diacritical marks consisting of names correspondingwith the nainesplaced on the push-button board in proper relation to thepush-buttons. The two contact-pieces et each switch are accompanied bycharacters or words corresponding` to similar characters cr words on thesigns or visual-signal devices 13 and ll for the purpose of impartinginformation to the person operating any one of the pushbuttons. In thepresent instance the contact-pieces 2l and 22 ot each two-point switchare arranged in proper relation, respectively, to the words Out and In,and therefore the signs or visual-signal devices 13 and 1i areprovided,respectively,with similar words. IVe wish it clearlyunderstood7 however, that as regards the diacritical marks on thepushbutton board and the characters or words arranged with relation tothe contact-pieces of the two-point switches other characters, designs,iigures, or words may be employed without altering the spirit ot ourinvention.

The annunciator or signal apparatus ors ystem described and shown issusceptible of use for many purposes unnecessary to specificallymentiong'but we will now describe one special use for which the systemor apparatus is well adapted and for which it was particularlydesigned-towit,to enable a person calling at the entrance or other partof a building to conveniently and instantly ascertain it the occupant ofany one of the apartments,

otices, or rooms in the building is absent or present or in77 or out7For this purpose it is only necessary for the caller to press upon oroperate the contact-piece or push-button on the push-button board whichis designated or distinguished by the name of the person called upon.For instance, assuming that Smith occupies room No. l and a callerdesires to ascertain if Smith is or is not present in his room, andassuming that Smith has adj usted his switch arm or lever to makecontact with the contact-piece 22 for the purpose of advisinga callerthathe is in or present in his room, the caller simply operates thepush-button 2, which completes the electric circuit through theconductor 28, the pivot 25, the switch arm or lever 253, thecontactpiece 22, the conductor-wire 27, the electromagnet 7, and thebattery. The electromagnet 7 is thus vitalized and instantly attractsthe armature 15, which swin gs the sign or visual-signal device I3 intoview, and as this sign or signal device bears the word In the callerobtains the desired information, and, if desired, proceeds to the roomof Smith.

The number of contact-pieces or push-buttons and switches may beincreased to any required extent for the purpose in hand.

NVhile we have illustrated and described an annunciator containing buttwo visualsignal devices (bearing the inscriptions In and Out) and haveindicated but two contact-points on the switches electrically connectedwith the visual signals, we desire to have it understood that we are notlimited to this number of visual signals and contactpoints on theswitches, as it is obvious that they may be correspondingly increased innumber without affecting the principle and spirit of our invention. Itdesired, an ordinary call-bell, one or more, may be introduced into thecircuit to be used, for instance, to indicate to the user the positionof his switch; but as this is obvious we do not consider it necessary toillustrate'the same.

The details of construction of the various parts may be inodiied withoutaltering thc spirit of our invention, and therefore I. In a signalingsystem, the combination with a suitable support of a plurality of pushesand push-button contacts arranged upon said support and associated withmarks, or words, which identify each one of a series of distant points,a series of separate wires, one from each push-button being led to oneof the distant points, a series of switches atsaid points, each switchconsisting of a conducting-arm, to the pivotal support of which one ofthe separate wires is led, and two contact-pieces each of which isassociated with a different character, or word, two independent wireseach of which is common to the contact-pieces associated with the sameword or character, two series ot branch wires, one series connected toone contact-piece at each point and to one of the two wires and theother series to the second contact-piece and second wire, a signalingapparatus having signals responsive to both the contact-pieces at thedistant points and a source of electric energy, substantially asdescribed. y

2. In a signaling system the combination with a suitable s upport of aplurality of pushes and bush-button contacts, a series of separate wiresone from each push-button to one of a series of distant points, a seriesof switches at said points each comprising a conducting- ZIO arm to thepivotal. Support of which one of i trio energy connected to each of thepushthe Separate Wires is Connected, two eontae'- button conta-ets,substantially as described. pieces on each switch-base with either ofwhich In testimony whereof We have hereunto set 15 the zum can engage,two or more independent our hands in presence of two subscribingWitwires having Abranch connections to all J[he messes.

Contact-pieces on one side and the other to all those on theother sideof the switch-arm, two or more independent signaling-devices eachComprising ein eeetromagnet and a. Visual sig- EDWARD H. OEN. CHARLES N.VILLIAMS. FRED H. DONALDSON.

1o nal operated by it, the Winding of eac-h mag- Witnesses:

net being oon'neoted to one or the other of the VILLIAM M. VAN DYKE,independent wires, and :i generator of eleo- IIARFIELD T. CHRISTIAN.

